A new Love Island? Berry bloom leads to baby boom for New Zealand's goofiest parrot

"The Kakapo is an all-around preposterous creature. It's nocturnal, lime green and, as science-fiction writer Douglas Adams wrote, flies like a brick. The animals produce a strong, fruity musk, can weigh as much as a house cat and can potentially live for 90 years or more."

"During the berry-backed courtship rituals, male Kakapos used their stumpy little feet to scrape and stomp out earthen amphitheaters called booming bowls, which amplify their courtship song—a resonant, low-pitched call that carries for miles. Rather than hearing it, you kind of feel it in the chest."

"Nearly all female Kakapos of reproductive age have bred this year, Digby says, producing an impressive 240 eggs and counting. About half of the eggs will be fertile. Fewer will hatch, and fewer still will survive long enough to fledge. As of March 3, scientists have tallied 26 living chicks."

The Kakapo, a critically endangered flightless parrot found only in New Zealand, has experienced a rare breeding boom triggered by an exceptional rimu tree berry crop. Only 236 Kakapos remain worldwide, and they depend almost entirely on rimu berries to stimulate mating, which occurs every two to four years during bumper crops. Male Kakapos create acoustic structures called booming bowls to amplify their courtship calls, which can be felt vibrating through the chest from miles away. This year's exceptional conditions led nearly all reproductive females to breed, producing 240 eggs with approximately half being fertile. As of March, 26 chicks have survived to fledging, representing significant population gains made possible by dedicated conservation efforts and key breeding individuals.

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